Arcangelo Gifts policy

Policies

Arcangelo Gifts Policy

This version was approved by the Board on 23 February 2026. This Policy will be reviewed at least every 12 months, or sooner if required by changes in law or guidance.

Introduction

This policy has been developed in accordance with the relevant guidance issued by the Charity Commission: Accepting, refusing and returning donations to your charity - GOV.UK

In this policy, the term ‘gift’ is intended to mean money, land, goods or other property of any kind freely given to Arcangelo.  This may be in response to our fundraising activity, as a gift or a gift in a will (a legacy).  This policy is not intended to cover grants, which are usually received following an application from Arcangelo and are subject to their own specific written terms and conditions.

Arcangelo is authorised to receive gifts as a registered charity in England & Wales No. 1139783.

Arcangelo is authorised to claim UK Gift Aid on eligible gifts under HMRC Charities Reference No. XT30297

In order to fulfil and develop its charitable aims and purposes, Arcangelo appeals for gifts to support:

  • a) Ongoing core costs
  • b) Projects including but not limited to recordings, and the Arcangelo New Ensemblists programme.

Core cost fundraising targets are set annually by Arcangelo’s board of trustees. Project-based targets are established at the initial planning stages for the respective project and approved by the board on a rolling basis.

Acceptance and terms of gifts

  • Pecuniary Gifts – acceptable forms and limits on cash payments

Arcangelo accepts direct gifts in the form of cheque and online transfer as well as gifts made via Enthuse and Stripe, our third-party donations and appeals solution providers for registered charities, and other third-party services for registered charities including Benevity, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and via Myriad USA for US taxpayers. 

Arcangelo also accepts gifts in the form of cash, provided that: (i) the maximum amount of cash accepted from a single donor per event shall not exceed £250; and (ii) the total amount of cash donations from a single donor within a 12-month period shall not exceed £1,000.

  • Gifts in Kind

Gifts in kind rather than in cash (e.g. in the form of securities) will be accepted only if made through pre-vetted counterparties such as Myriad USA. 

  • Gifts exceeding £5,000 

Receipt and acceptance of: (i) an individual gift exceeding £5,000; or (ii) a series of gifts from the same donor over a 6 month period with a cumulative total exceeding £5,000 (in each case whether financial gifts or gifts in kind) may be made by the Executive Director of Arcangelo only upon satisfactory completion of customary due diligence checks and procedures as set out in the AML & Sanctions Policy.

Restricted and Unrestricted Gifts

All gifts made to Arcangelo are either restricted or unrestricted as per UK charity law. 

Unrestricted gifts (i.e. those made with the understanding that the funds will be used for any purpose that the organisation sees fit) will be allocated by Arcangelo towards its charitable purposes and with the oversight of the board of trustees.  

The terms of restricted gifts (i.e. gifts made with the understanding that the funds will be used for a specific stated purpose) are defined either by the donor or by the terms of an Arcangelo appeal, and restricted gifts are allocated as per these terms. 

When setting out wording for a specific appeal, Arcangelo will where possible include a secondary purpose in its appeal wording to enable funds to be allocated appropriately, for example if a project is unable to go ahead or more funds are raised than are needed for the specific project. See: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-and-fundraising-cc20/charities-and-fundraising#solicitation-statements-and-other-fundraising-materials

In the event that restricted gift income from an appeal is unable to be applied for the purposes specified (including any secondary purpose if applicable), Arcangelo will follow the relevant Charity Commission guidance to allocate the funds appropriately. See:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charity-fundraising-appeals-for-specific-purposes

In the event that restricted gift income from an unsolicited donation is unable to be used for the specified purpose, Arcangelo will discuss with the donor as to how such funds may be reallocated, e.g. towards another project or activity within Arcangelo’s charitable purposes.

Refusal or return of gifts

Arcangelo will refuse a gift where it has a legal obligation to do so (e.g. where it comes from an illegal source or is attached to illegal conditions or is from a donor who does not have the mental ability to decide to donate).  In the event that the charity suspects that it has received a gift from an illegal source, it must not contact the donor or return the gift and will follow the procedures outlined by the Charity Commission in the relevant guidance. See: 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accepting-refusing-and-returning-donations-to-your-charity#donations-you-must-refuse-or-return

Arcangelo may also refuse a gift under the terms of its Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions policy or for operational reasons (e.g. where it is determined that the donor’s activities or ethics may give rise to risks to the charity) or where there are onerous or inappropriate conditions or requirements attached to the donation. Arcangelo will seek appropriate professional advice before refusing a gift made by will, as it may require the prior authority of the Charity Commission.  In the first instance, the Executive Director will report any proposal to refuse a gift to the board of trustees with a view to consultation and decision as to how best to proceed.

Reporting of gifts

Arcangelo declares all restricted and unrestricted income received year-on-year in its Annual Accounts, filed with Companies House and with the Charity Commission.

Use of data

Arcangelo stores and handles all personal donor data submitted with donations directly to Arcangelo in line with its Privacy Policy. We do not disclose any donor data or activity without specific affirmative consent. Data submitted with donations to Arcangelo via third-party services and platforms is stored and handled as per the ‘Sharing Your Information’ section of our Privacy Policy. These services and platforms also have their own Privacy Policies:

Where donors provide specific affirmative consent, Arcangelo will always ensure every opportunity within its control for the proper crediting and acknowledgment of gifts and support including but not limited to its website, social media, and printed assets and materials including CD booklets.

Questions

For questions about this policy, contact the Executive Director of Arcangelo, Julian Forbes, at julian@arcangelo.org.uk